Discussion notes for Eric Frank Russell's “Allamagoosa” 15 November 2018 https://www.baen.com/Chapters/1439133476/1439133476___3.htm A note on writing: Russell starts the story with the expectation of respite time after a long difficult mission. Then he turns that on end with a single, short, word. Then, he returns back to the expectations of a respite and blows it off again with the same short word, setting off the contrast between crew expectations and their reality. The contrast set and the Captain of the Bustler introduced, Russell brings in the bad news and more of the featured crew. He adds an incident of being out of conformance to underscore the seriousness of the inspection -- an extra reel of electric fence wire resulted in a reprimand for the captain of another ship. One of the “crew” gets a couple sentences of introduction. “As they passed the open main lock, Peaslake observed them, bounded eagerly up the gangway and joined behind. A pukka member of the crew, he was a large dog whose ancestors had been more enthusiastic than selective. He wore with pride a big collar inscribed: Peaslake—Property of S.S. Bustler. His chief duties, ably performed, were to keep alien rodents off the ship and, on rare occasions, smell out dangers not visible to human eyes.” Note the mention of the collar inscription. Capturing succinctly the mood of the crew: “The task [inventory item by item] continued until late in the evening, was resumed early next morning. By that time three-quarters of the men were hard at work inside and outside the vessel, doing their jobs as though sentenced to them for crimes contemplated but not yet committed.” Having a French Chef who responds emphatically to the suggestion that he doesn't know what belongs to his kitchen, may be a cliché, but it works to add a bit of humor. What comes after the offog in the inventory list includes a studded collar, a woven reed basket, and a cushion to fit the basket (half-chewed). Still no idea of what the offog could be. Russell captures the tendency of tech persons to develop there own names for their items: ‘"The blind-approach transceiver is called 'the fumbly,' " Burman informed.’ How to get through the inventory check with the offog still missing? And to get past the experts who will do the ship's overhaul. The solution is simple: “Bustler to Terran Headquarters. Item V1098, Offog, one, came apart under gravitational stress while passing through twin-sun field Hector Major-Minor. Material used as fuel. McNaught, Commander. Bustler.” What could go wrong? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A review of other Eric Frank Russell stories by James Davis Nicoll “One of the gentler voices of the Golden Age” https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/one-of-the-gentler-voices-of-the-golden-age Accessed: 2018-11-15 ...Wordsmith Jarvinen